"You're Being Recorded!"

"Beware of what you say, what you read, what you write, where you go, and with whom you communicate," advises John W. Whitehead, author of "Battlefield America: The War on the American People."

According to Whitehead, we now have an unofficial fourth branch of government: surveillance.

And you guessed it gang--everything we say, do (or even think) can, and will be used against us.

"Privacy, as we have known it, is dead," proclaims Whitehead.

And that ain't all folks. Apparently, domestic surveillance is a team sport.

"Just about every branch of government--from the Postal Service to the Treasury Department and every agency in-between--now has its own Surveillance Section, authorized to spy on the American people," says Whitehead.

Hyperbole? Or is everything we do, think, and say really being recorded?

The Bible says it is. But by Someone infinitely more important than the government. For example:

Daniel 7:9-14 gives us an amazing behind-the-scenes-sneak-peek of what's in store for the future.

Daniel's vision details a heavenly courtroom in which "...a river of fire was flowing, coming out from before Him. Thousands upon thousands attended Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened."

What books? "The ones that record the names and deeds of those who will be judged," according to the footnote in our Nelson Study Bible.

Oh, and check out Revelation 20:20: "I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books."

Uh oh. What do the footnotes say?

"Books" refers to the record of all works done in this life. Since all have sinned and fall short of God's standard (see Romans 3:23), the opening of these books would certainly lead to eternal sentences in the lake of fire."

What then? Are we all going straight to you-know-where when we die?

Tragically--yes. Romans 3:9 says, "There is none righteous, not even one..."

And Hebrews 10:31 says: "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God." So unless God offers us a full pardon, we are doomed. Amazingly, He does! He sent His only Son to die for us (in our place) to secure that pardon. It's our job to receive it and follow hard after Him.

Learn more @ "How to Go to Heaven"

A wise man once said: "Sin results in death, but God gives the gift of eternal life to all who repent and place their trust in Christ." --William W. Comfort, PhD.

News:

• Israel National News.com: Secret Document Reveals U.S. to Give Iran Nuclear Equipment in Return For "Toning Down" Program.
• The Washington Free Beacon: Russia Developing Ultra-High Speed Attack Vehicle Similar to China's.
• Associated Press: U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of same-sex marriage nationwide in 5-4 ruling.

"Kiss Your Privacy Good-bye--Update"

Remember back in the day when airport TSA x-ray scanners capable of seeing through your clothes seemed unbelievable?

Well, you ain't seen nothin' yet.

Apparently, street lights are going high-tech and they're not just for lighting anymore.

These new-and-improved street lights are now capable of:

• video surveillance
• emergency alerts
• tracking "RFID-equipped staff"
• data harvesting (huh?)

According to researcher Paul Joseph Watson, 

"The company behind the 'smart' street lighting system which is being rolled out in major cities like Las Vegas admits that the technology has the capability of analyzing voices and tracking people, features that will aid the Department of Homeland Security in protecting its citizens."

(In Europe, where a similar system has been in place for a few years, they actually debated whether or not to x-ray to detect what people were concealing under their clothes!)

Illuminating Concepts, the inventor of Intellistreets, is working with the government to install the street lighting systems in parts of Chicago, Detroit, Auburn Hills, Asbury Park, New Orleans, and Las Vegas. (Though Vegas denies they are going to use the surveillance functions, you gotta wonder--why have 'em?)

"The ability to record street conversations is merely one special feature of the Intellistreets lighting system, which is linked to a central data hub via an ubiquitous wi-fi connection," says Watson.

What happens if they record something incriminating, you ask?

Can these recorded 'street conversations' be used in a court of law?

Legally, if there's no expectation of privacy, they can.

(sigh)

Remember back in the day when the expectation of privacy seemed believable?

Las Vegas and the Intellistreets system

"Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In His presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared Him and loved to think about Him.

""They will be My people," says the Lord Almighty. "On that day when I act, they will be My own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient and dutiful child. Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."" (Malachi 3:16-18)

A wise man once said: "This verse explains that every time you talk about the LORD with another, God is paying close attention. In fact, the phrase Malachi uses here means 'to bend down so as not to miss a word'." -- Pastor Greg Laurie

News:

• Washington Free Beacon: Iran announces development of ballistic missile technology just days after signing deal aimed at curbing nuclear activities
• Daily Caller: EPA preparing to unleash a deluge of new regulations in the coming New Year.
• CBN: A book of Psalms, published in 1640, sells for $14.2 million in NY auction. Believed to be first book published in what is now the U.S.

"Creepy Technology:Coming to a Store Near You!"

It's bad enought that the IRS, NSA, and DHS are all spying on us, but guess who else is jumping on the bandwagon?

Your local supermarkets!

Yep--you read that right. According to privacy advocate Katherine Albrecht, supermarkets have plans to track shoppers using 'smart shelves'.

What are smart shelves, you ask? Shelving that has been rigged with Microsoft Kinect technology that can detect your:

• age
• gender
• physical traits

And that ain't all, folks!

Once they've figured out your specific demographic, the technology within the store shelf will be able to target you with a personalized ad or message. Right then and there--while you're in the store shopping.

For example, suppose you're looking at the premium ice cream and you've got a couple of extra chins. Your ad might sound something like a satanic temptation:

"Mmmmmm....just look at that scrump-dilli-iciousssss, melt in your mouth deliccccioussssnesss. You know you can't resissssst...."

Or let's say you're fit-n-trim:

"Hey, you there! You look mahhhhvalous. Absolootly, mahhhhvalous! You've certainly been taking great care of yourself. So, how 'bout a little reward, hmmmm???"

Get the picture?

The reason for all this, according to Albrecht, is so the stores will be able to charge different prices for different people.



Albrecht believes the store of the future will have no set price points. Customers will have to aim their cell phones at a product to get their specific price.

Inch, by incremental inch, people.

First Big Brother, someday Stater Bros.?

Is nothing sacred?

click here for more info

A wise man once said: "We are rapidly entering the age of no privacy, where everyone is open to surveillance at all times; where there are no secrets from government." --William O. Douglas, U.S. Supreme Court Justice

"Do not be afraid for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine when you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."  Isaiah 43:1-3

News:

• The Washington Times: U.S. intelligence fears Israeli air force drill may indicate a hardening stance on Iran.
• CBN: Girls threatened with hate crime charges for complaining about transgender bathroom harassment
• Associated Press: Temporary deal reopens government after 16-day shutdown

"Is The Government Spying On You?"

Governments around the globe have always been nosy, and totalitarian regimes made spying on its citizens into an art form.

But here in America its different, right? Wrong! 9/11 was the ultimate game-changer. The fear of terrorism has led to a new era of trading privacy for security. Remember the outrage when it was discovered that President Bush was wiretapping suspected terrorists without a warrant?

Well, you ain't seen nothin' yet.

Over the last decade, as the world went wireless, surveillance became virtually invisible. Only it isn't just suspected terrorists and criminals they're watching anymore.

It's us. That right, it's directed at all of us.

The ACLU, in its campaign to stop illegal spying, says, "Increasingly, the government is engaged in suspicion-less surveillance that vacuums up and tracks sensitive information about innocent people. The erosion of reasonable restrictions on government's power to collect people's personal information is putting privacy and free speech rights of all Americans at risk."

What is the government interested in?

• email
• phone calls
• tweets
• texts 
• Facebook
• Google
• and apparently our finances, too

According to Reuters: "The Obama administration is drawing up plans to give all U.S. spy agencies full access to a massive database that contains financial data on American citizens and others who bank in the country." This info came from a Treasury Department document seen by Reuters.

The above information gathered on all of us will then be:

• tracked
• analyzed
• archived
• and kept indefinitely

Is nothing sacred anymore? Even our idle web-surfing is tracked. Aaron Saenz of Singularity University writes, "Nokia, Sprint, Ericsson, Facebook, Google--think of a business that helps people talk and exchange information and you'll think of a company that has helped law enforcement agencies look through private data."

What's next? Micro-drones the size of a small bird. Think we're kidding? Think again.

Next time you see a cute little hummingbird peering in your bedroom window? 

Shut the blinds.

A wise man once said: "Gentlemen do not read each other's mail." --American statesman Henry L. Stimson

"For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men" --2 Corinthians 8:21

News:

• MSN: Iran's supreme leader warned the Islamic Republic would level the cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa if Israel launched a military attack.
• NBC News: North Korea issues fresh threat to U.S. with new YouTube video. This time the U.S. Capitol is destroyed.
• Reuters: U.S. beefs-up missile defense against North Korean threat.
• CBC News: The Federal Reserve foresees unemployment remaining high into 2015.
• CNBC: Illinois passes new law requiring gold/silver buyers to register.